Some irrigation sprinklers have nozzles which are press fit into a nozzle seat provided in the side of a nozzle body. The nozzle seat is usually recessed relative to a peripheral sidewall of the nozzle body so that the nozzle when fully received in the seat is largely hidden within the nozzle body. After the nozzle is inserted in the seat, a radius adjustment screw is screwed down in front of the nozzle to deflect the spray exiting from the nozzle to adjust the radius of throw. This screw engages against the top of the front face of the nozzle to keep the nozzle in place in the seat.
One sometimes needs to remove the nozzle from the nozzle body, e.g. to clean the nozzle or to replace the nozzle with a different one having different spray or flow volume characteristics. In the prior art sprinklers just discussed, one first has to unscrew the radius adjustment screw that protrudes down in front of the nozzle to raise the screw up out of the way. Even after this is done, it is difficult to remove the nozzle because the nozzle is recessed inside the nozzle body and cannot be gripped sufficiently to pull it out against the force of the press fit. Thus, one often has to use a tool, such as a screwdriver, which is inserted into the spray apertures of the nozzle to pry the nozzle out of the seat. Once the nozzle is cleaned and replaced in the seat, the radius adjustment screw has to be reset to its previous position, which can be a time consuming trial and error operation.
Keeping in mind that sprinkler nozzles of this type usually comprise molded plastic parts, removing the nozzle by jamming a screwdriver or some other tool into it and prying it out almost always destroys the nozzle, thereby requiring that a new nozzle be inserted in its place. There is no practical way to remove the nozzle just to clean it as the act of removal damages the nozzle. This is a particular disadvantage for sprinklers designed to be installed, serviced and used in the do-it-yourself (DIY) market. Typically, these users do not have a supply of irrigation nozzles on hand, as an irrigation contractor might have, with which to make a replacement. Thus, they will often have to go out and buy some replacement nozzles which is, at the least, an annoyance.
In some prior art sprinklers, once the radius adjustment screw is raised out of the way, the nozzles are removed by applying pressurized water to the sprinkler body to blow the nozzle out of the seat. While this may not damage the nozzle, the nozzles are often lost in the turf surrounding the sprinkler anyway, particularly since the user often has to go to a remote location to turn on the water supply to the sprinkler and is not present when the nozzle is blown out. Moreover, in sprinklers of this type in which the radius adjustment screw is used to hold the nozzle in place, the engagement of the screw against the plastic material making up the nozzle will also often damage the nozzle. Accordingly, prior art sprinklers of the type having recessed nozzles have a number of disadvantages.